Making the Most of a Career Fair

Office for Alumni Affairs & Career Advancement

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Learning Goals: At the end of this workshop, participants will…

• Understand the importance of pre-career fair preparation

• Be able to describe actions one should take before, during, and after a career fair

Agenda

Before the Fair Research organizations

Elevator pitch & other preparation

During the Fair Interacting with employers

After the Fair Maintaining relationships

Remember…

Before the fair… know your goals

Are you…

looking for full-time, part-time, or internship opportunity?

exploring career opportunities?

investigating companies?

practicing networking skills?

other reasons?

Before the fair… Research employers

Review the list of participating employers in CareerConnect

Research organizations before the fair!

Review company websites, LinkedIn page, news articles

Learn about company background, mission statement, types of positions

available, and skills and experience the company seeks

Create a list of organizations that you are most interested in visiting

Before the fair… Order Business Cards

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/career-services/

For Students Job Search Tools Job Listings Field Practice Fellowships Business Cards

Before the fair… Prepare a well-written resume/CV

Work with career coach to refine your resume or CV

Print your resume and bring multiple copies

Keep your resumes organized & ready

Know that some employers cannot accept

hard copy resumes and will ask you to apply

online. This is to comply with federal

regulations about the way employers keep

data on applicants, and to manage applicant

data efficiently.

Before the fair… Prepare an elevator pitch WHAT: A quick snapshot of your career, goals, training, and experience.

WHY: You will need to introduce yourself repeatedly so get used to succinctly

saying who you are and what you do/hope to do.

Even if your specific career goal is not clear, communicate that you are figuring it out is important.

HOW: Present – what are you doing now

Past – what are your accomplishments, skills, and qualifications

Future – what are your goals

Example of Elevator Pitch

Hello. My name is Alex Graphs. I’m an MPH student at the Harvard Chan

School of Public Health with a concentration in Global Health. I am

researching the hidden factors that have historically influenced global

HIV/AIDS policy.

Previously, I worked for an NGO in Botswana doing HIV/AIDS treatment

and prevention.

I want to use my training and experience in international public health to

influence governmental and international healthcare policy.

I’ve read about Organization X and am really interested in learning more

about the research analyst position. Could you share with me more about

this opportunity?

Before the fair… Prepare your questions Ask questions such as:

Have you hired Harvard Chan graduates? What might new graduates typically work on in your organization?

Does your company hire only at certain times of year?

What are the most important qualifications your organization look for ?

What is the hiring process like?

What are the organization’s major goals for the next few years?

Are there training opportunities for new hires at the organization?

During the fair… Make a Good First Impression

Give yourself enough time at the fair

Dress and act professionally

Greet employers with a firm handshake

Make eye contact & smile

Pay attention to time constraints

Be confident and show enthusiasm

Ask your questions

Request business cards

Take any available brochures and employer literature

After the Fair…

Send a thank you email to anyone you had a meaningful

conversation with

Send any materials that have been requested of you

Be patient – don’t expect an immediate response

Organize notes, company literature, and business cards

Reflect on your experience – what did you learn about the

company and yourself?

Additional Resources

Schedule a coaching appointment

to review resume or CV

Tip sheets and career resources on

our website

Attend other workshops, career

fairs, career treks, and site visits